Birdly1
Hatching
- May 11, 2015
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hello - I'm a newbie to this forum. But here go's. Last spring we purchased a dozen baby chicks from our local feed supply store. 10 various hens and 2 bantams. (11 yr old wanted bantams for pets). One of the bantams ended up being a rooster who when came into his own became aggressive so we found him a new home and shipped off 3 of the larger hens with him. The 7 remaining hens are picking on the bantam (Poppy) so she was sort of wandering around on her own or following them at a distance. One evening Poppy didn't come to the roost. (we have a coop and lock them up every night). A week went by and no Poppy. We were sure that something got her. Then one Sunday she was back, much to our surprise and joyfulness. 
But, just as quick as she appeared, she was gone again for another week. She showed up again this past Sunday. My daughter kept a close eye on her and followed her to her hidden nest. She was sitting on 3 large eggs and 5 of her own. We were worried about a racoon or skunk getting her so we moved her and her eggs to what use to be our goose coop. (Big house with one solid and one screen door). She would not sit on the eggs and just squawked and squawked to get out. I put a lamp over her eggs to keep them warm until that evening so we could candle them and see if they were fertile or growing little chicks inside. Non of them appeared to be so I just tossed the eggs. Now she seems to be back to normal and trying to move around with the flock, but they keep chasing her off. I feel so bad for her, and want to get her some companionship, other than bringing back Rodney (the bantam rooster). So my question is.... Can or should I purchase some fertile eggs for her? I'm not sure she would sit on them. Or do you think she would take in a couple of baby chicks, or should I try to find another bantam hen? She is so sweet, comes when you call her, except when she was on the eggs of course.
But, just as quick as she appeared, she was gone again for another week. She showed up again this past Sunday. My daughter kept a close eye on her and followed her to her hidden nest. She was sitting on 3 large eggs and 5 of her own. We were worried about a racoon or skunk getting her so we moved her and her eggs to what use to be our goose coop. (Big house with one solid and one screen door). She would not sit on the eggs and just squawked and squawked to get out. I put a lamp over her eggs to keep them warm until that evening so we could candle them and see if they were fertile or growing little chicks inside. Non of them appeared to be so I just tossed the eggs. Now she seems to be back to normal and trying to move around with the flock, but they keep chasing her off. I feel so bad for her, and want to get her some companionship, other than bringing back Rodney (the bantam rooster). So my question is.... Can or should I purchase some fertile eggs for her? I'm not sure she would sit on them. Or do you think she would take in a couple of baby chicks, or should I try to find another bantam hen? She is so sweet, comes when you call her, except when she was on the eggs of course.
